


Sacrificial

by TroublesomeFox21



Category: Naruto
Genre: Fuuinjutsu Master Uzumaki Naruto, Insecure Uzumaki Naruto, Itachi is hopeless, Kill Danzo plz, Kill Orochimaru plz, M/M, Multi, Naruto graduates early, Naruto hides behind a mask, Non-Massacre AU, Older Uzumaki Naruto, Other tags to be added, RIP Canon, Shisui is hopeless, Smart Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Clan Lives, hopeless gays, idk how to tag, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2020-07-01
Packaged: 2020-07-11 15:16:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19930168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TroublesomeFox21/pseuds/TroublesomeFox21
Summary: Uzumaki Naruto, born a small handful of years earlier, faces different challenges than in canon. Not that they're harder, but they are no less easier.Kindness is rare. Honesty is rare. The truth, is rare.So when he's offered all of that, he has no idea what to do. How is he supposed to react when someone shows him kindness? What's he supposed to say when someone is honest with him? And the truth?Well, the truth is never black and white. This world is not black and white. It's colorful and vivid.He never thought that he'd meet someone as stubborn as he was, but the Uchiha clan? They have it in spades.Or: Naruto decides that if nobody will help him, then he'd help himself. But when people come along who want to help him, get to know him, repay a favor (?)...he has no idea how he's supposed to react.





	1. The boy who found his name

**Author's Note:**

> Oof. Ok, I tried to stick to one story, I really did. But I can't. Out of the couple dozen lengthy fics I have, I needed to put one up and this one is the winner. Mainly because of Shisui. And it's non-massacre but anyway!  
> This will be a backburner fic, I'll say that right now. My main focus will, I'm going to try so hard, it will be on What's in a name (BNHA).  
> However, I wanted to see what you guys thought of this, slash, uh...I'm pretty sure that my dad is getting annoyed with me having him read all of these, lol.  
> Voila! Enjoy :)  
> Also! This is kind of fast paced, but it's just this chapter...kind of. But feel free to ask any questions you have.

When you’re young, there isn’t much to do but dream. Dream of getting a pet, getting rescued by a prince or finding a princess. Dreaming of being a hero and saving the day. Dream of money to get any and all the toys you want. What it would be like to eat candy for any meal. 

What isn’t normal is to wonder what it would be like to be warm. If it was possible for your stomach to not growl in pain and wonder why that was. Kids weren’t supposed to dream and find solace in the dark, where no one could see them. Dream of a life without getting smacked, dish duty and what it would be like with a normal name. One that wasn’t monster or demon or brat. 

Those were the nice dreams that were only that, dreams. 

But as one reached the age of four, they were old enough for reality. They were ready to face the world which, to be honest, was just a package of confusion, disappointment and pain. And it was wrapped in a pretty bow called, Why me?

Those dreams became as rare as the food he could find. 

As rare as coming back to the box he called home, only to find a new resident cat and decide that it’s kitties needed the warmth more than he did. 

Days passed, not knowing how many because how would he? But eventually came a man and a dream came true. He had a name. It was Naruto. Which was odd, and he wasn’t sure if he liked it, but it was his. All his.

And then came an actual home. The windows were broke and the fa-set wouldn’t stop dripping but it was fine because if he tried hard enough, he could pretend that it was a song that was never sung to him. 

He went back to the alley, wanting to share his new home with the mommy-cat and the kitties but he couldn’t find them. He tried not to be too sad, instead picturing them with nice people. They were able to eat all the food they wanted and get all the cuddles they craved.

He found friends in plants, bringing the fluffy yellow flowers into his apartment. There were many of them and he talked to them all to fill the silence. They never lasted long, he mourned, but he was always able to find more. 

The man returned, smiling and offering to get him food. It was the first time he remembered eating something warm, fresh and he tried not to cry. He had a lot of practice and he didn’t want the man to think him ungrateful. He spoke of something called school and the man seemed happy. Naruto agreed. Who was he to disappoint? 

That day he also learned that he was six. Apparently, that was a big deal in Ko-no-ha, since kids started to go to school, or they were eight and he was only six, but that was okay. It was a school to become ninjas. Naruto got excited. 

But… school was hard. The teachers glared at him, which he never minded until they refused to call on him. They spoke of something called the alphabet and math and numbers and it made his head hurt. He wanted to cry, already getting stuck on the first step of writing his name. He just got it. He didn’t know how to spell it. He didn’t even know how to hold the pencil. 

It got more difficult but he tried harder. 

The boy listened more than the other kids, not touching the pencil and book unless he was at home and safe from the laughs from the other students. History was easy, it was just remembering numbers and names. He was good at that. It only took listening. 

He spent a lot of time in the library. The lady at the desk was old and she slept a lot but when she was awake, he just waited to go in when she did fall asleep. 

He was starting to do well. He was the furthest from the best at school work but he was getting better. His favorite was when they all stretched and learned how to do jumping jacks, sit ups and push ups. But not too many, or they would get hurt. 

He got the best score out of his whole class when the first year was over. The teachers glared but he smiled, wondering when he would see the old man again. He wondered what he would think.

The next day the door was knocked on for the first time. It was the old man. Naruto was happy but the elder wasn’t. He was disappointed.  
‘Why didn’t you try harder, Naruto-kun?’  
Naruto didn’t reply and the man sighed, offering to take the boy to get ramen but he declined. He had never felt this before. It hurt and he didn’t like it. His head felt heavy and he couldn’t breathe. The other left and Naruto only cried hours later. 

New year, new teachers and a new Naruto. Determined, more-so then before, hurting more-so but smarter. If the teachers were going to act like this, for some reason, then he wouldn’t make it possible for them. He already knew the material from the year before but he refined it. He was still a year younger than the other kids. 

He was sad that they were angry when he did better. Which was often, but he tried and he did. He was proud of himself. Only a couple months in and he got bored, curious. He could do… better, he knew.

He knew he wasn’t supposed to work out when he was little, he was already small, he didn’t need to stunt his growth further. The kids were bigger, hit harder and ran faster. He practiced and practiced. He developed a routine. Wake up, eat something, go to school, go to the library, train, eat, sleep. Repeat. 

The days were long and he found himself tuning out the teachers, instead reading about Senju Hashirama and his brother Tobirama. About Uchiha Madara. How the village came to be. 

The Uzumaki were a clan. He had a family. But they were dead. He tried not to let it get to him. It didn’t work. 

Out of pure boredom, he came across the Memorial Stone. He found a name. Uzumaki Kushina. The only Uzumaki. He assumed she was his mom. 

He asked the old man, making his way up to a big tower because apparently, the man was important. He was the Hokage. He ran the village. Naruto asked the man about his mother. The mans voice was hard with ignorance. His eyes sparkled, though. 

Uzumaki Kushina was his mom. 

He got to thinking, near the end of his repeat of the first year at the academy, who his dad was. He tried to distract himself, the man was likely dead. It worked for a while, happy that he moved onto his second year of studies. It didn’t last long. 

He looked into chakra. They were unlocking theirs and he didn’t even know what chakra was. It was hard and the teachers weren’t helpful. His physical studies and scores fell, as did academics. He spent more time in the library then before. They closed too early. He found out where to hide so he could read after everybody else had gone home. 

Sometimes, they left food in the fridge. Nobody could tell him to stay on the first floor, eyes hard. He could read any book he wanted. That didn’t mean that he understood it. 

It was slow progress, but he maintained good scores. It was weird though. The kids were talking about how their tests mentioned who the Hokages were. His were on Suna and Kumo. His were about the First Shinobi War. 

He tried to ignore the voice in his head that told him to tell the old man. He wasn’t failing- it was fine. He was doing fine. 

The other kids all unlocked their chakra. He tried and tried in the middle of the night. When he got it, they were already sticking multiple leaves to their foreheads. He read more, ignoring his drop in a new subject of chakra studies. 

Fuinjutsu was cool. It didn’t require any chakra. The seals always looked pretty and they were fun to draw. Hashirama, Tobirama and Namikaze Minato always had a lot to say. Naruto studied the picture of the blonde for what seemed like hours but shook it off with the nausea.

Family day came. Naruto left early. Nobody noticed. His mind kept repeating father, dad, daddy. He went back to the old man and asked. He got the same response he did with his mother. He tried to ignore that the man wasn’t even looking at him. He was looking behind him. At pictures. Naruto left without another word. 

Naruto failed his second year. He couldn’t make the leaves stick. He read about chakra control exercises. Within a month, he could tree walk. Another two weeks and he could water walk. He still couldn’t make the leaves stick. 

Naruto already knew the second year curriculum. He waited for the right moment to break into the academy and find the third year study guide for the teachers. It was surprisingly easy. It took him three nights to copy everything down. He didn’t dare steal the book. 

The only thing the store owner would sell him was orange. He hated it. He hated the looks and attention he got more. As if he didn’t have enough already. He bit his tongue and stayed in the back alleys. The other students laughed and pointed. Naruto stared before going back to his book. 

Tale of a Gutsy Ninja. It was good. He kept it on hand.

He got something called a Spider plant. He liked it. Vipers bowstring and Ivy followed. 

The book of advanced chakra control mentioned chakra pulses. His chakra was dense. He tried it in the shower, the soap was a good weight and it tested his reflexes. He noticed a seal. Something else grew in his stomach, heavy. 

He didn’t go to school for a week, spending almost the whole time in the library. There was only one book in the whole mass of ink and paper. It mentioned Jinchurrakis. Heart in throat but determined, he broke into the archives. Something that big wouldn’t be in the public library, they had to be under surveillance.

He came to his own file, hours later and breathing lightly through the facemask and hood. He opened it quietly, hiding under a desk, in the oversized hoody and read by the quiet pulses of chakra that provided light. 

Name: Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto.

Status: Jinchurraki – Civilian.

Mother: Uzumaki Kushina.

Father: Namikaze Minato.

Guardian: Jiraiya.

Blurry eyed, he wondered who Jiraiya was. 

The Hokage wasn’t happy that he hadn’t been to school. He acted like he was sick. Before he left, he asked why everybody hated him. He noticed the wince the other gave. 

‘They don’t hate you, Naruto-kun. Show them kindness.’

Naruto takes the second year test again, still not able to get the stupid leaf to stick. He’s annoyed. He puts glue, completely normal glue, on the leaf. His teachers let him pass reluctantly. It takes him a minute to leave the classroom. 

He’s decided that his teachers are idiots.

School and life continue. Third year is somehow easier than before. They take a break from chakra. This is so kids could self-study. Naruto thinks it’s more for clan brats to work on their family techniques. Instead, they take to sparring. 

Naruto loves it. 

It’s different than fighting a still standing dummy. He’s smaller than the other kids but he’s practiced more. He’s good at dodging. He takes cheap shots, ignoring the other students words of protest. It works. He pretends not to notice the flash of surprise and smirk that the instructors give before it all falls back to a glare. 

Kunai and shuriken take a bit longer to get used to. He picked up on it faster than some of the others though. He reads. He already knows the curriculum for this year, he decides to repeat his actions from last year. None the wiser. 

His plants are doing well. He’s growing tomatoes, strawberries and carrots. Knowing how to use a kunai makes getting meat easier, it was easy to figure out how to set up a trap. The book on it was more confusing than helpful. 

He grows three inches. 

He moves onto fourth year. It’s annoying that he gets top scores in the previous year but is dead last at the beginning of the next. Naruto is getting tired of talking to the Hokage about it. It’s not much of talking anyway. It’s a lecture. 

‘Do better, Naruto-kun. Listen to your teachers, Naruto-kun. Don’t prank your teachers, Naruto-kun. They’re there to teach you.’

That gives him a pause. Pranks? He’s never done that. But the other thinks he has been. He actually listens as the teacher yells at him the next day instead of tuning him out. Mizuki was both an asshole and stupid. 

If Naruto was going to prank him, he’d do more than a fart cushion and spitballs. 

Naruto closes his book, pulling out a piece of paper and plans. If he’s going to get in trouble for something, he may as well actually do it. And show Hoshito how it’s done, geeze. 

Fourth year brings many problems including, once again, chakra. This is the year that everyone’s supposed to graduate. There are three ninjutsu techniques that they’re supposed to learn. Bunshin, Kawamari and Henge. 

Naruto speaks out loud, not seeing a point in raising his hand when he’d never get picked on anyway.

Bunshin isn’t a ninjutsu technique. It isn’t solid. It would be genjutsu more than anything. On that note, wouldn’t henge be as well?

He gets sent out to the hall but Naruto counts that as a win. He celebrates by painting the ANBU HQ orange. The color is bright and it should point right at him. Running from angry ninja is good practice, he figures. 

Mizuki grades his tests and they always come back failed. Naruto stops trying. He often doesn’t go to school anyway. Ninjutsu is harder than he would have thought. Though, fuinjutsu is getting more interesting since he could actually use the seals instead of just drawing them. It makes pranks more amusing as well. Not that anybody can tell that he’s used them. 

Kawamari is helpful but the henge is an honest to kami lifesaver. He’s started a savings account and he really doesn’t know what to do with it. He’s tempted to actually pay the outrageous prices the shop owners want, just to get rid of the orange. He decides not to, taking his personal training to a new level and buys a bright orange jumpsuit with a grin. 

He paints the Hokage Monument in celebration. Hiruzens face is hilarious and it took hours for ANBU to catch him. Though, in his defense, he was getting hungry. He’d rather eat in peace then get pulled away from an angry dog ANBU.

So yes, those two are helpful but the bunshin is damn near impossible. He can make it, yes, but it isn’t one. It’s fifty. He stresses about what to do with the knowledge before deciding to screw it and ask the instructor. Mizuki reeks evil when he says it isn’t allowed. That you’re only supposed to make one to three. 

Naruto mentions extra credit. The clan kids can show family techniques for extra credit. The sleaze explains that you can’t get extra credit when you’re failing class. 

That explains why Hiruzen stops by. Again, unhappy.

Naruto finds himself in the restricted section of the library. You can only get in during the day and it’s through a locked door that’s chakra linked to the librarian at the station. Naruto henges as someone he sees around the Hokages office quite often. An Uchiha, which is risky, but they have reputations so Naruto knew there wouldn’t be any questions asked. 

Itachi-san, huh. Must be a big shot.

It takes longer to find what he needs then he wants to admit. In his mind, the bunshin was a genjutsu so that’s where he looked. It mentioned it, yes, but it was labeled as D-rank and more information could be found on the first floor. 

Remembering what his teachers said about it being a ninjutsu, he looks around as a last resort. The benefits of the last hope were full. Chakra nature, he had no idea what his was so that wiped any wind, earth, water, lightning or fire clones. Though, that would be cool. And makes him want to apply whatever nature he was to the few techniques he knew. 

Either way, one does catch his eye. 

Shadow clones. His eyes glint as he reads through it and memorizes it. He sees it was invented by Tobirama and that makes it even better. 

Naruto walks over to the window, ignoring the guard who looked away red faced. Naruto caught an apology to Itachi-san before he jumped out, dropping the henge as he fell. He ignores the incredulous stares and glares of the civilians and looked up, catching the random workers eye as he shut the window with a gape. Naruto smirked, throwing a salute before running off to his personal training ground. 

He can do the jutsu as easy as breathing by that night and wonders what it means for him if he can master an S-classed jutsu in hours. He personally counts it as luck and shrugs it off to a new day. The school year continues. 

Naruto’s reached maximum boredom by the time the end of the school year comes. He’s asleep when they call his name for the final exam. He yawns, stretching and throwing his test on the growing pile that’s on Mizukis desk. 

He takes his taijutsu stance and fights the full minutes. He gives the required three hits and dodges the chunin for the rest. He tried not to show his amusement. Mizuki growls before telling him to do the academy three. The two proctors don’t even notice that they’re solid clones. 

Naruto hums on the swing, watching the families give hugs to all those who graduated. It’s hard for him to feel bitter or angry about it anymore. He’s tried that, being angry, it’s too tiring when he has so much else to focus on. 

Speaking of which, he needed to water his plants. He’s stopped by Mizuki, who claimed that there was another way to graduate. Naruto yatta’s and agrees. Making a clone to henge as the scroll is easy, as is making the way to the meeting point. He’s not stupid enough to actually steal the Scroll of Seals, sheesh. He wonders what Mizuki is up to and is soon confronted. 

He’s told about the fox. He merely nods, wondering if that was it. The man drinks something, yelling about his master. Who was Orochimaru, so that was something. But fighting somebody that wasn’t a clone or another student was exhilarating. Not that hard to beat, either. 

“Congratulations on passing, Naruto-kun. And for bringing the traitor to my attention.”

Naruto turned, watching as a groaning Mizuki is dragged out of the Hokages office. The blonde scratched his neck and looked at the old man with a grin, “You’re welcome, Jiji! I’m so glad I passed!”

The elder chuckles, lighting his pipe, “I bet. Took you a while but you did it. I’m proud of you.”

Naruto grins wide, eyes closed. “Me too! Who’s gonna be on my team?”

The hokage sighs, slumping further into his worn chair. “I’m afraid you won’t be.”

Naruto grits his teeth, pursing his lips before releasing it. It…that was fine. This wasn’t that big of a deal. 

“…Well, ok. What’s gonna happen now? Am I being sent back to the academy?”

“Heavens, no,” Hiruzen waves. “You’ll be in the genin pool until further notice.”

Naruto refrains from swearing. “Genin pool?”

He’s not supposed to know about that, after all. Or about his parents. Or about the fox. He wondered if he should tell the other that Mizuki told him about the fox. Probably, but he wasn’t going to. Whatever. 

“Yes,” the old man sighs. Naruto wonders if the man is getting too old for this job. Probably. 

“The genin pool is a reserve of genin who aren’t put on teams until they find one that is a good fit. They self train and will be called in for missions when needed. They are allowed to take D-ranked missions, without a team or sensei, however. ”

Naruto frowns slightly, bouncing in place. “I won’t be getting a sensei at all?”

The man shook his head, “I’m afraid not… will this work for you?”

Naruto merely nodded. “I guess.” It wasn’t like this would be that big of a deal. Annoying, since he wouldn’t be getting a sensei but there was a good chance that whatever sensei he would have gotten wouldn’t like him to begin with. 

“How long does finding a team usually take?”

As far as Naruto knew, the only way to move ranks was through the chunin exams. And you couldn’t take those without a team.

“It could be as little as a year, with the next batch of graduates to years from now. Really, it’s up to you, in a way. If you show promise then there’s a possibility of you getting scouted for an apprenticeship or even a field promotion.”

Narutos mind whirled. Everything that he had planned, which honestly wasn’t much passed, don’t kill your instructor no matter how stupid they are, was flipped around. He…he didn’t even need a team. That was amazing! Not that it was anything really against them, he just didn’t really get along with people. Socializing with people his own age was near impossible unless it was to tell them to shut up. 

Hiruzen held up a finger, “But, Naruto, I cannot stress this enough, that is a low possibility.”

Naruto felt almost all his respect for the man drop right there. Not that there was much of it but still. 

“You barely passed and you’ll have to work hard. Harder than many of the other genin already in there. Do you understand me?”

In a way, that made Naruto feel better. As far as the other knew, he sucked at just about everything. Whenever the council or the Hokage were due for an academy inspection, all his grades were changed to deadlast. It was annoying, but they were always moved back up, lest the other students notice something wrong. 

Naruto nodded absently, looking up at the other after a moment. “So, how will this work, exactly?”

The Kage gestured to his desk. “It’s just a matter of some forms, really. There’s more than usual when genin go into the pool but it shouldn’t take too long.”

Naruto narrowed his eyes, “Why are there more?”

In a way, it was another, albeit shady, opening for the other to tell him about anything. The Kyuubi. His parents. Jiraiya. Anything. 

“Well, despite the years you were held back, you did graduate a year early. And then there’s the matter of your orphan status and those two just play with each other. Then there’s a couple other legal things that you shouldn’t worry about.”

Ah. What lies.

“Ok! Do I need to sign anything, or...?”

Hiruzen shook his head, visibly relieved that he wasn’t pushing. “No. Somebody will come get you if you are needed, otherwise, you are free to go to the mission desk located on the third floor of the tower. Because you are officially a genin, despite not being on a team, you’ll be allowed to carry weapons and use the training grounds. As a genin, you’ll also be given access to the second floor of the library, not that you’ll use it.”

Naruto laughed along with the others joke. Ah, if only the man knew how many books he had or read, for the matter. 

“Alright, thanks, Jiji! I’m gonna go get ramen then train. I’ll have that hat before you know it!”

Naruto shut the door, the elders chuckles ringing in his ear. He stood there for a minute, wondering what he was actually going to do. Ramen wasn’t healthy, or his favorite, but it was pretty good. And he did graduate so maybe a bit of splurging wouldn’t hurt.


	2. Better Pastures

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so....Hi.  
> It's been nineish months, I know but I'll be perfectly honest right now. I did not expect this to blow up as much as it did. So, in a way, it's your guys' fault that this took so long to update. At first, I was like wow. Someone actually commenting. Then it had views and I was like dang.   
> And then it kept happening!  
> And I told myself, 500 views. Then I'll update. Then, I decided on 5 comments. 1000 views. 15 comments and so fourth. But now? Well, now I thought it would be a good idea to not be rude and actually be a good author and give you guys a bit more. 
> 
> So, this chapter is short, funny and to the point. I'll admit that this story is rushing, and this chapter especially may seem a bit like crack but it wasn't intentional. I don't write funny. I write angst. But it just happened! And I loved it.   
> That being said, things will start to get much more serious and will most likely remain to seem rushed until after the coup is resolved. However, it won't take that long for it to happen.   
> Mainly because I don't think it would have taken much for it to be resolved.   
> Uh, thanks and I love you all!

Naruto was on his way home hours later with bags in hand. It wasn’t until he was eating his third bowl of ramen when everything sunk in. He had graduated. He wouldn’t have a team or a sensei or anything. In a way, he was free. After that echoed in his mind, he slapped the required bills down on the counter and set out to a store. 

His heart was set on one thing: anything but orange.

Granted, half his savings was blown, which was not planned, but now that he could do D-ranks, it wouldn’t take that long to build it back up. Hopefully. Life had been easier since he learned the shadow clone jutsu. 

All thoughts about future D-ranks and what he had to work on now flew out the metaphorical window when he found himself in a chokehold and held against the wall. The boy winced in pain before he opened his eyes.

Well, this was surprising. And not in a good way.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?”

Narutos mind ran, because what the hell? It took him a minute to realize what the other was talking about and once he did, he laughed awkwardly, dropping the henge. The others eyes widened and released him. Naruto caught his footing easily, rubbing his abused throat. 

“Uh, sorry. I- just wanted to get some clothes without paying triple, so….”

The other didn’t say anything, still staring and Naruto shifted uncomfortably. His mind went to the time he henged as the other, as freaking Uchiha Itachi, to learn how to make a clone that was worth something. Probably best not to mention that. 

“This has been fun and all but I’m gonna go.”

The teenager still wasn’t doing anything and Naruto almost felt worried. The boy even waited another second for the other to do something but nothing came. Nodding to himself, Naruto regripped the bags and set off to his apartment. Only to be grabbed again. Naruto winced at all the contact, ducking under the others arm again but turned with a glare. 

“What,” Naruto snapped.

The teen held his hands up in surrender, eyes back to a normal size. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bother you or anything but… sorry.”

Narutos face morphed to confusion before he smoothed it out. “What?”

Before Itachi could say anything, there was a thump behind the blonde and he quickly turned, fist in a punch but it was caught by a taller teen. 

“Wow, kid. You are feisty,” the curly haired boy whistled. 

Naruto blushed, pulling his fist out of the others clasp. He backed himself into the wall and glanced back and forth between the two. “What do you want?”

The elder snorted, looking at Itachi and- Naruto swore. They were both Uchihas. And based on the patch the older one was wearing, he was with the police. Hopefully, by any miracle, they wouldn’t be here for his impersonating of –

“Hey, you finally found him! Took you long enough, Tachi. I thought he was gonna hide from you forever.”

Naruto eeped, cheeks flaming in embarrassment when they both turned to him in surprise. He covered his mouth, eyes shut in his own horror. This is why he didn’t interact with people. 

“I haven’t talked to him yet, Shisui. He’s clearly freaking out.”

The other hummed, “Yeah. I can see that.”

Naruto brought his hands to cover his whole face and not just his mouth. He slumped to the ground, knees to his chest and inwardly groaned. 

“So, what are you doing with him in an alley?”

There was a tsk, “He was under a henge and I was making sure it wasn’t an intruder or anything. He said he was hiding under the genjutsu because he gets overcharged.”

They were both frowning but Naruto ignored it, knowing that it was probably at him. Instead, he jumped back up with a sound of victory. “Ha! I knew it was a genjutsu.”

They looked at him wearily and Naruto slumped, embarrassed yet again. 

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

Naruto scratched his neck and looked down the road. He should get back to his apartment. “Uh, the chunin at the academy. They say it’s a ninjutsu. Well, actually, mine is but that’s not the point. Hey, the bunshin would also be considered a genjutsu, ne?”

The two teens looked at each other baffled before turning back to him. Narutos arms went up in an X, bags forgotten on the ground. “Forget I said anything.”

“Nope, you got us curious now. What do you mean yours is a ninjutsu and yes, the regular bunshin is a genjutsu. However pointless it is.”

Naruto laughed, “That’s what I said.”

They were staring again and Narutos mouth closed with a click. He debated on what to say, leaning forward in thought before he snapped back to his feet. “It’s a secret.”

The elder, Shisui, apparently, folded his arms and peered down at him with interest. Naruto was practically refraining from running at this point. This was the longest conversation he’s had with anyone when it didn’t include him being called stupid, stuck up or an idiot. Sans the Hokage, of course, but he was like, ninety, so that didn’t count. 

“And why is it a secret?”

Naruto shook his head stubbornly, about to bolt when Itachi stepped in the way. Naruto growled, glaring slightly. The teens black eyes lit with amusement. Naruto turned back to Shisui, voice level and resolute. 

“Because it is.”

Shisui nodded, smirk playing on his lips and Naruto swallowed harshly. The teen leaned forward, forcing the blonde to burrow deeper into the wall. 

“Can I be a part of the secret?”

Naruto was mortified by the heat on his cheeks, “N-no.”

There was a smacking down and Shisui leaned away, pouting slightly. “Darn.”

“Please excuse my cousin. He’s an idiot.”

Naruto stared the two, not being able to form words. They were waiting for him to say something but Naruto couldn’t get his mouth to move. Shisui leaned down, picking up the bags and Naruto just reacted. 

“Don’t touch those!”

Shisui held his hand to his chest, jaw dropped in incredulity. Had he just been slapped? Itachi choked, clearing his throat and that told him that he had indeed been slapped. 

Naruto blushed again, holding the bags to his chest protectively. “S-sorry. Don’t you two have anything better to do then cornering a genin?”

They were both jounin. Well, Naruto knew that Itachi was. He wasn’t sure about Shisui but he did look familiar… and he was talking to Itachi like they were close. That could just be that they were from the same clan but Naruto liked to think, that in some world, one could find friends in rank. 

Psh, yeah right. 

Surprisingly, Itachi bowed slightly. “My apologies. I wasn’t aware that you had graduated.”

Naruto eased slightly, “So, what? You would have cornered a civilian?”

Itachi bit his tongue, not expecting the snap. Shisui laughed, flicking Naruto on the forehead. The blonde slapped the hand away yet again but Shisui dodged with a smirk. Naruto blushed for some reason and turned back to Itachi. 

“No, of course not-“

“But you did.”

Black and blue stared, neither backing down from the rather pathetic argument. When Itachi spoke again, it was stiff. “Either way, my apologies, Naruto-san. It wasn’t my intention to corner you and make you uncomfortable.”

The other just saying it flat out made it worse and Naruto grimaced, looking away. “Just- drop the san- Itachi, please.”

The others eyes widened again and Shisui whistled. “Haven’t had that happen in a while, huh.”

Itachi shook his head slightly. Naruto grimaced, almost wanting to apologize but didn’t. 

“How do you know my name?”

Naruto panicked, saying the first thing that came to mind. “How do you know my name, huh? You stalker!”

The blondes mouth immediately dropped in shame, attempting to ignore Shisui now laughing hysterically. Itachi mostly just looked confused, “I am not a stalker.”

Naruto nodded, not being able to do much else. The other continued. 

“And I was just trying to congratulate you on your genin rank.”

Narutos mind whirled, “How do you know that?”

Shisui was now on the floor, hand banging on the gravel. Itachi only fell deeper into the world of confusion. His answer voiced like a question. 

“…Because you told me..?”

Naruto straightened, deciding to get out of this before he embarrassed himself further. He nodded, not looking at either of them. He jumped over the sprawled teen. “Well, apology accepted, Itachi.”

The last thing he heard was a confused thank you, and more laughs. When Naruto got to his apartment, he didn’t put anything away, merely faceplanting on the worn bed and pulled the pillow over his head before screaming. 

That was fucking mortifying, thank you very much.

XXX 

Over the next week, Naruto found himself in a near trance. When he was still attending the academy, if you could say that, he would usually send a clone so he wouldn’t be tempted to kill anybody. So, while his clone would be at school, he would be off doing something actually productive. But now there wasn’t any school and he was free to do what he normally would but wouldn’t have memories about Mizuki or the other instructors yelling at him. 

It was odd, yes, but refreshing. 

The blonde was currently laid out on the grass of his training ground. He could use any of the others now, without getting in trouble, but this one was important to him. It wasn’t even much of a training ground, rather it was a space of about half a kilometer and was fairly isolated. 

It took almost half an hour to get there running but by the time he got there he was always warmed up, so it worked for him and he was happy with what he had. 

At the moment he had almost thirty clones working on stuff while he himself reread one of Uchiha Madaras books. The blonde had noticed, just by reading a few of the founders books, that they all had an almost rivalry to them. Mainly, Tobirama and Madara but they were all enlightening. Right now, he was reading a book on politics which touched older subjects that were important during the warring era. But Naruto could see how they were beneficial to todays world. 

Really, they were all geniuses in their own right. All the Kage, including Uchiha Madara. The blonde wished he could talk to them all. They were all his family, more or less, sans Madara. But Naruto appreciated his viewpoint more than Tobiramas, on certain subjects.

But Tobirama was probably his favorite. As much as he wished he could say it was his father, he’d be lying. Yes, the man turned the tide of a war singlehandedly and he was, y’know, his dad but… he didn’t really get to do as much as the others. He died when he was only 24, Tobirama had lived twenty years passed that and the other two even longer. 

Naruto set the book down and closed his eyes, the sounds of the clones working playing as background noise. He’d probably dispel them soon.

Half of the clones were working on taijutsu, something that he learned was nearly counter productive since the clones never lasted long enough for him to actually learn something. He eventually found a practice called shadow fighting. It was where you nearly hit your target but you don’t. When two clones fight, they mainly practice grapple moves and such. The other part of the practice led them to count kill spots, come up with new maneuvers and practice fluidity. 

His lips quirked, that would probably be what he was best at. He would always be small, he’s come to accept that and play it as a strength, but he was fast. Nimble, he’s heard other students call him slippery but he chalked it up to knowing how to dodge. 

Either way, he was small. Because of this, and his age, he hasn’t grown much muscle mass but that didn’t mean he wasn’t lean. As lean as an eleven year old could be anyway. But his taijutsu didn’t rely on strength. It was about dodging and only striking when needed and not being afraid to take those ‘cheap shots.’

He felt that something was missing with it though. For as much as he used his legs, preferring those to his arms, his hands felt empty. Kunai felt wrong and shuriken would never be his favorite. Not that he was much of a taijutsu user to begin with, he preferred not to fight close range. Not to say that he doesn’t like it, cause he did, really. But it got so much attention and he didn’t like it. 

Attention, that is. Especially since it was never good. 

Naruto yawned, sitting back up and looked around. Half the clones were still sparring, one exclusively for watching and analyzing. Another six were reading a variety; knowledge is power, after all. Two for hand weapon accuracy, two for chakra control. A couple were finding food since he was running low. One wasn’t even training, they were still working on the clothes he had bought at the beginning of the week. They would be finished soon though, much to his giddiness. 

The last one was currently playing with Tora. Or, supposedly finding her. He was originally, but every once in a while clones would refuse to do what he told them to so, his clone was playing with the cat. He’d get the memories either way. Animals liked him, he didn’t understand why the chunin at the mission desk actually wished him luck. The kitty was an angel. 

So, Naruto thought, his clones could train and he would reread about his role models. Call him lazy if you want, it worked. And he himself needed to physically train anyway, the clones didn’t transfer physical shape or muscle mass, it was all knowledge and muscle memory. 

Physical training was tiring though, he did it, yeah. But he preferred reading a book or taking a nap. A small part of him wondered if it would be different to actually train with somebody instead of just himself…

Naruto stood, dispelling the clones wordlessly and headed out of the clearing with a yawn. He was hungry. And tired. 

It was four days later when a knock broke Naruto out of his meditation. He frowned, knowing that there was only one person who ever came and he had no idea why he would be coming by. They saw each other only two weeks ago. He hadn’t been pranking anybody either, not really seeing a point since he was an ‘adult’ or whatever. 

Was that why Hiruzen was here? To see if he was up to something?

Naruto rolled his eyes, socked feet meeting the cold floor as he made his way to the door. He played with the strings of his hoody as he threw the door open. He blinked before his eyes widened and he swung the door shut again. 

“Hey!”

“No!” Naruto yelled back. He didn’t want anything to do with them. How did they even know where he lived? As soon as that thought entered his head, he groaned at his own stupidity. They worked for the police, or at least Shisui did, they had records on every civilian and shinobi in the village. Plus more. 

“We just want to talk!”

“How is that helpful?”

Naruto inhaled, counted to three at their banter before opening the door again. They stopped mid-sentence, looking surprised. His face showed neutrality and the blonde didn’t let his annoyance seep into his voice. 

“How may I help you?”

It was in the silence that Naruto noticed that they were out of uniform. Or, they weren’t wearing their headbands or the police vest. They weren’t here on official business so…what the hell did they want?

“Oh, I didn’t expect that.”

Naruto frowned, closing the door when they tried to peer in. His foot scratched his calf as he leaned on the wood. His brow raised, “Expect what?”

“You’re not wearing orange.”

Naruto glanced down, indeed. He was not wearing orange. Pushing down whatever it was he was feeling given that they had noticed, though, he had no idea what to think if they hadn’t, he narrowed his eyes.  
“I thought you weren’t a stalker.”

Shisui snorted, looking down the hallway as Itachi inhaled sharply. He looked weird with his hair up higher. “I am not a stalker.”

Naruto nodded, keeping his lips from moving in sudden amusement. “Right.”

The younger raven nodded, “We wanted to see if you would like to train with us.”

Naruto didn’t say anything. Not that he knew what he would say to begin with but… were they being serious? They were jounin, he was genin. Them seeing if he wanted to train with him was literally pointless. Not to mention off-putting. 

“…No.”

Shisui showed his surprise but Itachi only frowned,” Why not?”

“Well, for starters, I don’t like you. Secondly, you’re weird. Both of you. And lastly, that’s not what you’re really here for. I don’t like spending time with liars, Uchiha.”

They seemed surprised. Naruto didn’t really care, he didn’t. 

“Hey! I am not weird! And you don’t even know us so how can you tell that you won’t like us? We’re awesome! And we aren’t lying.”

Naruto crossed his arms, “Really.”

The eldest nodded, “Yeah, well, ok, maybe a little. You amuse us! We wanted to get to know you. But we can train if you want. I’m sure we have some pointers that you could find useful.”

Naruto held his breath, almost forcing himself purple and not pink. That… people couldn’t just go and say that! That-that was weird! And certainly not about him! Nobody ever wanted to know him.

“Now you’re lying a lot.”

“No, we aren’t.”

Naruto bared his teeth slightly, “Yes, you are. People don’t want to ‘get to know me.’ It doesn’t happen and the fact that you’re acting like you do makes you a dick.”

Shisui was gaping and seeing Itachi glance at him before looking back at Naruto, opening his mouth. Naruto pointed to the ponytail wearing teen, eyes lit in warning. 

“You’re a dick too. Go away.”

Naruto stared at his now shut door and felt a feeling of self-pride.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KK, I'd love more comments and kudos. Tell me what you think!   
> However! Let it be said, that if I get a comment on Naruto swearing, Ima be pissed. The kids lived on the street alone and is bitter. Not only that, but he does use the shadow clones. I am on the side that the people, the souls who use it, get all the effects. That includes the time and exhaustion that follows. With that, he's quite mature.   
> So, yeah! Thanks for the love and hopefully I'll update sooner then before!!!
> 
> Spelling errors, let me know!


	3. Agony, Annoyance and Answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOOOOOF. O.K.   
> I have been writing for...like, five years now. Not a long time but sticking to one fandom like I have and writing, constantly, I run through a lot of possibilities and situations. I feel, like I've written a lot, that's what I'm trying to say.   
> That being said, I read a LOT more then I write. And with this idea, the one you're reading right now, I felt it unique. Maybe a bit cliche but I thought it was original. 
> 
> That doesn't meant that I thought it was particularly worthy of the attention that it's getting. 
> 
> As I write this, the story only has two chapters but it has forty-one comments. 
> 
> And it's only 7200 words. This is of two chapters, but once I post this new one, it'll bring it up to three, obviously. 
> 
> To me, who isn't a big name fanfic author and only had two stories up...saying that the numbers are insane, heartwarming and...so motivational, is downplaying it a lot. 
> 
> I guess this is just a big THANK YOU, to all those who leave comments, kudos or give this story a damn chance. 
> 
> I love you all, seriously. And I hope that this chapter, this story, lives up to whatever expectations you have for it. I don't write personal thank yous, and I probably should, but at the moment...  
> THANK YOU! <3

Naruto ignored the hurt, sitting back on his bed and closed his eyes after he shut the door. Today was a supposed rest day, so that meant reading and meditating. And sleeping. And eating. If he happened to ignore what had just happened, then it was great. 

Only, the two Uchiha leave him alone. Sometimes it was just one of them and sometimes they were together. Naruto turned a blind eye, walking the other way most the time. If he couldn’t avoid them, he’d ignore them. If he couldn’t ignore them then he’d run away. At first they seemed confused and possibly even amused but now they were getting irritated. Well, they weren’t the only ones. This had been going on for almost two months. Why couldn’t they take a hint?

“Why the hell are you in my apartment?”

Shisui looked up, chopsticks in mouth. There was a beat of silence before he slurped the remaining noodles into his mouth. Itachi looked repulsed but neither looked ashamed. Or embarrassed. Didn’t they work for the police? Wasn’t breaking and entering one of their main rules? They sucked at this. 

“Well, today’s your birthday and you won’t talk to us. We come baring gifts though. Happy birthday!”

Naruto shook his head, throwing his pouches and headband onto his worn couch before making his way into the kitchen. He opened his fridge and pulled out a container of stir fry from a couple nights ago. 

“Is the gift you guys leaving me alone?”

“Nope, it’s even better than that!”

Naruto sat across from them, blowing on the food. “That’s a shame.”

Shisui tsked but Itachi looked amused. He looked hesitant, pushing a small box forward. Naruto merely stared, taking another bite. After a minute, Shisui pulled a plastic bag out of kami knows where and set it on the table. Naruto ignored it, continuing eating. He paused, seeing Shisui grin and push the bag forward. The blonde frowned and the process continued. Eventually, the bag was halfway into the mostly eaten dish and Naruto’s patience had run out. 

“You just don’t know when to quit, do you?”

The others grin looked painful. Naruto rolled his eyes, opening the bag and pulled whatever it was out with no enthusiasm whatsoever. He blinked, seeing a large container of different quality smoke bombs that came directly from an Uchiha store. Nobody but Uchiha could get them…what.

“Uh, thank you?”

He had learned how to make a smoke tag months ago. They were lighter, easier to carry and better, in his opinion. He could control every aspect of it. The amount of smoke, color, when it disappears, etc. But…this was still a gift and he fought past the lump in his throat. 

This was his first birthday gift. Ever. 

“I figured it would help with your pranks. You haven’t done any in a while so, I thought this would spark your fire again.”

Narutos lips twitched into an almost smile, “Spark my fire?”

The teen nodded, “Yeah. They’re pretty great. I thought that you lost your muse or something. But, behold! Go out and amuse us, kid.”

Naruto snorted harshly after a moment, putting the box in the bag. One may think that what the other was saying may have lost some of the sentimentality to the gift but…no. While Naruto didn’t have any use for them, he knew that he’d treasure them. 

“Don’t know if I’ll be doing that again, but thanks, Shisui.”

The other looked sad all the sudden, almost panicked. “What? Why? They’re awesome!”

Naruto glanced at Itachi quickly but found he was also interested. Naruto shifted, uncomfortable and scratched his neck. How was he supposed to answer that? After a moment, he saw that they were still waiting. Inhaling, he shrugged lightly and looked away. 

“There isn’t really a point to it anymore.”

“How so?”

Naruto met Itachis stare head on. Well, it seemed that the others wanted the long answer. Naruto looked down, intertwining his fingers before pulling them apart. 

“Well, a couple years ago somebody in my class kept pranking our instructor. I was getting blamed and decided that I may as well get in trouble for something that was actually my fault. Somewhere along the way, ANBU started needing to catch me and I realized that it was good training. I…hadn’t learned anything in the academy for a while so I decided to take it where I could. But now, I can train how I want. I don’t need ANBU to chase me to keep me occupied.”

They looked completely surprised. 

“That’s genius.”

Itachi looked at the other in confusion and Naruto swallowed at the others whispered statement. Black eyes glazed before lighting with something that could only be defined as clarity. As if he understood something he couldn’t before. Naruto hoped that wasn’t the case. 

“What?”

Shisui slowly looked away from Naruto and meeting his cousins gaze. His voice finally gained some of its volume. 

“He was training.”

Itachi nodded, still confused and Shisui laughed, slumping against the couch with his hands in hair. 

“All the pranks. All the bright orange. All- it was a façade. A fucking prank, Tachi. He’s been hiding this whole freaking time.”

Naruto stilled, eyes wide. Just as Itachis mouth dropped, Naruto waved his hands like a mad man. “No! No, I haven’t.”

Itachi turned to him, voice a pitch higher than usual. “You’re such a liar.”

Naruto gaped, not able to say anything. 

“Why did you do it? Why act like the dead last?”

Naruto laughed shortly, glancing back and forth between the two before rubbing his face. This- how had any of this come to…this? How had he reached this point? He-he hadn’t been hiding. Not really and it wasn’t like he was trying to be dead last! If he’d had his way, he would have graduated last year and he’d be the rookie. But- 

Naruto let out a harsh breath and tugged on his hair before looking back at the two. “It’s not like I wanted to.”

They were confused again so Naruto continued. His voice even. Fact.

“I was put in the academy when I was six. I- I didn’t know anything. Literally anything and- the instructors wouldn’t help. Other kids would laugh. I had to teach myself everything. It took time and it seemed like I was constantly behind. I practically lived in the library for a couple years. After that… I was at the top of the class.”

They both leaned forward, scarily in sync. Their eyes had lost their confusion and they didn’t look very happy. 

Naruto sniffed, “Uh, well, I was supposed to be. The tests were weird and whenever somebody on the council was supposed to come check on the academy, all my scores were reset to dead last. The other kids noticed at first, so they realized they had to change it back. 

“It wasn’t until I was in my third year when I realized I was getting higher level tests. When the other kids would be tested on the code of conduct, I was taking a test on the treaty between Tea and Grass before Konoha was founded. I- started to lose my patience. Some kid in my class was pranking the teacher and he thought it was me. I decided that pranking was better about hearing about stuff I already know and…yeah. That’s it.”

They didn’t say anything after a moment.

“Was the orange just for training then?”

Naruto pulled on his hair again. “Not originally, no. It was the only thing stores would sell me. After a while, I decided to just deal with it. Not much I could do.”

Itachi frowned, “That’s why you were in a henge. You said they overcharged you. That way you could get normal clothes.”

Naruto shrugged looking away. “Pretty much.”

“Why didn’t you just do that to begin with?”

Naruto hummed, playing with his hands again. “Honestly? I’m not completely sure. It didn’t really connect that I could use it in that way until after I had graduated. I mean, now that I’m a shinobi, I’m no longer under the civilian councils thumb. I wouldn’t have to worry about what my sensei or teammates thought of me since I was placed in the genin pool. I could just…be me. Or something.”

Naruto met their gazes but remained quiet. This was far, far more than he had told anybody. Not even in the way of honesty. This was probably the longest he’d spoken to somebody period. Even the trips with the Hokage were usually short and to the point. 

“Why would they do that to you?”

Naruto waited for a punch line. They couldn’t be that stupid, after all, it was obvious. They were jounin, hell, Shisui probably remembered the Kyuubi attack. They had to have some sort of idea. But minutes passed and neither said anything else. 

“Are you kidding me?”

His voice was soft and disbelieving. Almost hurt, but that wouldn’t make any sense. This- if they really didn’t know… How- this was confusing. Naruto didn’t want to think about it anymore. Dropping his hands to his thighs with a clap, Naruto put on a small grin-smile-thing, tone slow as if explaining something they couldn’t understand. 

Because, apparently, they didn’t.

“I’m something called a Jinchurriki. The nine tailed fox is sealed in me. Day I was born. The fourth didn’t kill it, you can’t kill biju, he sealed it.”

They blinked, mouths falling slowly but neither seemed to be able to say anything. Naruto snorted harshly, ignoring the familiar burning of his eyes. He stood, lifting his hoody and channeling some chakra. He watched as the seal slowly formed. He slowly looked back at them, both their eyes wide. The youngest let his hoody drop after a moment. It was quiet. 

Naruto sat back down, hesitating before reaching for the small box that Itachi had offered minutes ago. The teen slowly nodded and the blonde opened it, blinking in confusion. 

“It’s a certificate so you can get something from the Uchiha armory.”

Naruto let out a deep breath, looking down at the card. 

“We’ll go with you though, so you can actually use it.”

Blue eyes snapped back to Shisuis, his voice earnest. 

“We’ll also be talking to my father for arrests that need to be made.”

Naruto swallowed with difficulty. 

“Who’s your dad?”

Itachi sat straighter, “The head of the clan.”

“Why the hell are you still here?”

The two didn’t answer for a moment and Naruto, agitated, snapped. 

“You guys are both part of the most prestigious clan in the village. You are literally tarnishing your name, and your clans by talking to me. I’m nothing but a pariah and-and if your dad really is the head of the clan then he won’t be happy that you’re-you’re hanging out with me. Or whatever the hell it is that you’re doing!”

Itachi blinked, rubbing his hands together. 

“Maybe.”

Naruto gaped, choking on a laugh. His hands fisting his hair. Tears were gathering in his eyes and he walked towards the door. 

“You’re unbelievable. Both of you. If you know what’s good for you, you’d leave me alone.”  
Naruto was about to swing the door open when he was slammed against the wall. He swore, gaze burning through Shisui. 

“We aren’t going to leave you alone.”

Naruto growled, “You will, Shisui. Even if I have to go to Hiruzen.”

The other swallowed, shaking his head slowly before letting him go. Naruto clenched his hands. 

“No. You won’t.”

“I will.”

Itachi stood. “You won’t. Not when you don’t want us to.”

Naruto trembled, annoyed, angry but above all else, hurt. He couldn’t refute that because despite everything, despite how he wanted nothing more than for things to go his way for once, he didn’t want these two to stop being his…friends. 

He didn’t want them to stop their small act of mercy of simply talking to him. 

But it was because of that that he would. Because they were good. And while he knew that he didn’t deserve to be treated the way that he was, he knew that there wasn’t anything he could do about it despite that it was all that he wanted. 

But he could control how they were seen. How they were treated.

Itachi and Shisui were both geniuses. They were both Uchiha. They were both good. Kind. 

And he wouldn’t let something as small as himself ruin that for them. 

So through his tears and cries that wanted nothing more than to fall, he promised them. And himself. 

“Not if I can help it.”

The two Uchiha watched as the door shut, not knowing how to feel. Not knowing what to do. 

The food sat uneaten and cold on the table.

A short thirty minutes, Naruto balanced frozen outside the door. He was several grounds below the Kage tower. In his haste, he had done nothing but follow Hiruzens chakra signature. It was only when he was outside the current door that he realized that the other was in a meeting. 

An important meeting, by the sounds of it. 

A coup? 

Naruto didn’t make it home that night, or the next or the two weeks that followed. The only thing on his mind was how to derail it. He didn’t like how it sounded. He knew that Itachi and Shisui wouldn’t want it to happen and that was enough by itself for him to try and stop it. 

The only question was how. 

Naruto didn’t know how to go about stopping something when he had no idea why it was happening in the first place. He took that as his first plan of action. Not that this was a mission but…it was a mission, he realized. 

One that he probably had no part in taking but he was. Uchihas were odd. They were prideful, smart and most were assholes, to be honest. But underneath all of that, Naruto recognized something. That they were scared. So, first and foremost he had to find out why that was. 

And, of course, it led back to the Kyuubi attack. 

Naruto didn’t know when the last time he slept was. He dazed, of course, but he hadn’t seen his bed for days. Despite its creakiness and holes, Naruto missed it. 

He missed the days of not knowing how big a part Shimura Danzo played in everything more though. Or Orochimaru the Sannins experiments or why it was that Uzushiogakure fell. Danzo had played a hand in almost every sense of a downfall to Konoha. 

Naruto didn’t want the Uchiha to be another. Not when if Danzo had his way, then they would be annihilated.

This was big and…Naruto wasn’t. He couldn’t play important parts, he knew. He couldn’t change it overnight and the reality that this was probably going to happen reguardless terrified him. He didn’t even know if Shisui and Itachi knew. He didn’t think he wanted them to. 

He played it normal, which was exhausting. It was always exhausting. But sending clones to do things like getting missions day by day when he knew that things would be changing, drastically, was almost more then he could handle. 

Hours of planning and days of thinking and nights full of questions only resulted in one thing. That he came to the conclusion that people were scared. The Uchiha clan, and the village. And the only way to stop that fear, is by the village. 

Now, the only question he had left to answer was how he was supposed to stop the terror aimed towards one of, if not the strongest clan in the Elemental Nations.

XXX

Naruto had messed up. He had messed up bad and he had no idea how to get out of it. He, tired and desperate, had gone further into the archives at the Kage tower because he realized that things didn’t add up. 

Days spent in the library, multiple levels with multiple clones searching for whatever he could on the Uchiha. And then getting to the questionable material of the Sharingan led him to go into the Uchiha District itself. Which was…difficult, Naruto wasn’t going to lie. 

But, with the coup and the village and the kami damned Kyuubi attack, he was finding more questions then answers and he needed answers, damnit!

So, there was a tablet and everything. And it gave him the worst headache he had ever experienced. And his stomach churned, similar to when he still bought the weeks old food at the market but oh so much worse. 

Naruto stared at the stone and felt sick. So he left. Luckily, by some miracle, he wasn’t caught even when he couldn’t see past the tears of agony as his head pounded. The air, fresh and not damp and dusty as the alcove was hidden, helped. 

Naruto headed home, all of his questions coming down to the fact that Kushinas, his mothers seal, was without a doubt fool proof. It had been one of, if not Hashiramas best sealing design. It couldn’t just break and the countless journals he had read through cemented the fact that it was impossible. 

Unless, of course, if you had the Sharingan of course. 

Which hadn’t helped him, his thinning sanity or his heart at all. Because while the Uchiha were stubborn and prideful, he didn’t doubt that they held love for the village. Most likely more then any other clan in fact. Hell, they had founded the village with the Senju because they wanted peace. 

And no fool, young or old, shinobi or civilian, would think that the releasing of the Kyuubi would bring peace. 

Which, Naruto thought in building dread, had to mean that it was from an outside source. Whatever way he looked at it, the Uchiha were either manipulated by an outside force into doing the deed or…or-

Shit, Naruto realized as he stopped dead center on a roof. 

It was a missing nin. There was always the possibility of a kekkei genkei thief. Or eye thieves or whatever, but he knew that both the Uchiha and the Hyuuga carried botulinum acid when things went to shit during a mission. And the amount that they carried in the damned pills was enough to destroy the whole body in a few seconds flat. Including the eyes. 

So the chance of a thief was slim but a missing nin?

The only known rouge Uchiha was Uchiha Madara. But he had died in that fight with Hashirama decades ago. Right?

Naruto shook his head, knowing that it was impossible. Even if he had survived the fight, he had to have been reaching, what, ninety now? 

Either way, the blonde boy began his run again to go back to the damn library when his headache came back with a vengeance. 

He proceeded to fall of the two story roof and into the alleyway. When Naruto woke- well.

It was safe to say that Kyuubi, sorry, Kurama, had a few stories about Uchihas. And he was more then happy to tell his pitiful jailor what had exactly happened twelve years ago. 

Which didn’t come at a cost, mind you. But after hearing the story, Naruto was more then happy to promise the death of this Uchiha Madara. At his own hand, of course.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shortish chapter?  
> Also, I'm a beggar, what can I say?

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos? Comments? What are those?


End file.
